I feel that grading contracts are more so positive than negative; however, I feel that there are also things about them that may be slightly unnecessary. Positively, I like the distribution of power that a grading contract provides. It's easy for students to not feel confident about a class when their personality clashes with that of the teachers, or they have a different writing style. This makes it easy to know that if one does the things the contract entails they will be guaranteed a specific letter grade. This takes some of the edge off, but for students like me who obsess over grades and GPA and whether I can graduate as cum laude or magna laude, it is still slightly nerve wrecking.
I like knowing where I stand in terms of grades, I don't like being in the dark when it comes to how I did on a paper or an assignment. I like specific feedback that will help me improve, and unfortunately I feel that grading contracts don't necessarily cater to that. Overall, I think grading contracts are a great idea to help students gain responsibility, but they don't exactly help students live up to their utmost potential.
I actually feel that I'm much more comfortable via online technologies than in person. I feel more open and willing to talk about things that I wouldn't normally discuss if I was sitting in a classroom full of people. It's easy to get distracted when I'm is sitting in a classroom, but when I'm alone it's easier to focus and remain focused, therefore I can connect what I'm thinking to what I'm saying. Consequently, I feel that a weak blog presence doesn't connect with the reader, it's too formal and stiff. I like reading blogs that know what they want to say, and say it in a way that the reader can relate to. I feel that blogs, like any type of written medium, needs to have a specific audience in which they are talking to. Therefore, it's easier to make a stronger connection while also keeping the reader entertained and wanting to read more. A good blog presence has an idea and sticks to that idea throughout the blog. Whether it be a specific design, topic, or style of writing, it has to be consistent.
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